Assam govt sets to implement two-child norms population policy from Apr 1 next year

To check population growth in the state, the new population policy of the state government would likely to be tabled before the next Assam assembly session to start from Sept 4 next.

Assam Finance and Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that, the new population policy will be tabled in the next assembly session in order to ensure its implementation across the state from Apr 1, 2018.

“After taking public opinion and debate, we are going to table the new population policy before the next assembly session,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The Assam minister had released the draft population policy in April in this year for public opinion and debate.

The draft population policy suggested that no government jobs for people with more than two child and free education up to university level to all girls in the state.

“The two-children norms will be applicable for also in employment generation schemes like giving tractors, proving homes and other government benefits. Those with more than two child, they will not eligible for all government schemes. This norms will be applicable in panchayat, municipal bodies, autonomous councils like elections also,” the draft read.

The draft policy also suggested to make all facilities like fees, transportation, books, hostel fees free for all girls.

The draft policy to also push increasing the legal age of marriage of 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys.

The Assam minister further said that, after adopting the population policy in the state assembly, service rules of all government departments to be changed.

Himanta Biswa Sarma further said that, a new scheme Compassionate Family Pension in place of Compassionate Appointments will also be tabled before the next assembly session.

“Under the new scheme, the employee dies before superannuation, the family pension equal to 100 per cent of the last pay drawn by the deceased employee be paid for a period up to the date of deemed superannuation of the deceased employee, i.e., the date on which the employee would have superannuated had he been alive. This would compensate the loss of family income to a large extent and fulfill the requirement of compassionate conditions arising out of the death of the serving employee. This CFP fixed 100 per cent of the last pay drawn will be revised periodically as and when normal pension, family pension are revised. On attaining the date of deemed superannuation, the CFP will be converted into normal family pension. This normal family pension shall be fixed at 50 per cent of CFP from the date of deemed superannuation till 67 years of age of the deceased employee. During this period of 7 years, the normal family pension will be revised periodically as and when normal pension is revised,” Sarma said.

The Assam Finance minister said that, on completion of above period of 7 years, the normal family pension will be reduced from 50 per cent to 30 per cent till the applicable eligibility as per the Assam Services (Pension) Rules, 1969.

“If the parents or other eligible family members are not looked after by the compassionate family pensioner, or receipt of such complaint from them, the competent authority will issue orders appointing the compassionate family pension appropriately among the other eligible family members. The scheme will applicable to those employees who died/die in harness on or after April 1, 2017. However, the relevant OMs related to the compassionate appointments will be applicable to those who died on or before March 31, 2017,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Assam minister said that, the draft guidelines of the proposed CFP scheme is put up on the website of the state finance department seeking comments, feedback from the citizens and employees of the state by Aug 27, 2017.

The Assam Finance minister also said that, a new act will be tabled in next assembly session that will make mandatory for all state government employees to take care their parents.

“The Assam Employee Parental Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring  Act will be tabled in the next assembly session and it will make mandatory for all state government employees to take care their parents and physically challenged brother and sister. If any employee violates it, then his parents to submit complaint before the competent authority and the authority could cut pay of the employee up to 10-15 percent if found guilty after taking hearing of both sides,” Sarma said.

On the other hand, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government has decided to table four education bills before the next assembly session to set up four new universities.

“To boost higher education in the state, we also decided to start additional stream in 89 colleges of the state, presently run by a single stream by October 15 next,” Sarma said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)